Harry Potter
I've been around churches for the past 59 years of my 64 year old life that I can remember. Debates about the bible are like debating the true meaning of Harry Potter.
What disturbs me more than anything is that every single time I try to have a discussion about Jesus I end up getting sucked into a conversation about the bible. Here and everywhere else. Especially at church.
Jesus and the bible aren't one in the same. Jesus ridiculed study of the scripture. He vehemently opposed the religious autocracy that conspired with the government to kill Him. He warned that things would be written about Him that would create false teaching.
He said all of the law and the prophets were summed up with two commands. Love Him as God and love each other and ourselves equally.
I’ve spent a great deal of time trying to comprehend what it means to love my wife as much as I love myself. Not one instant of my introspection has caused me anything but even more love for her.
Jesus warned that there was one sin that couldn’t be forgiven. He called it blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere He said that if we don’t forgive each other God won’t forgive us. My conclusion is that the message of the Holy Spirit is forgiveness.
If I don’t agree with someone’s perspective I’m free to disengage but I’m never free to not forgive them.
So for me it’s sad that every single time I start reading interaction about Christianity it seems to be dominated by the theme that sexuality is the most important issue on Christ’s mind. In fact He said materialism is our greatest enemy.
As always I’ve read numerous opinions in the forum about the divinity of Christ. But I haven’t read anything that I’d consider unkind about Him from people who don’t believe He is God.
I’ve yet to read one single comment in this forum that promotes or supports treating each other like material objects. Quite the opposite this forum has provided me with insights on how I can continue to improve my lifelong goal to love my wife as much as I love myself.
I don’t believe polyamory is disobeying Jesus. At least not the polyamory being promoted here.
When I think Jesus I think love in esoteric terms. When I think polyamory I think of love in practical terms.
If there are other Christians on the forum I’d be interested to know how things are going with you with your application of Christ’s command that we love one another. I’ve learned that love is as much about letting go as it is about getting near.
I’ve also learned that a eunuch is not a castrated male but a male who has chosen not to get married and have children. I’ve learned that lust for someone who makes it plain their not available is sexual abuse.
I’ve never read a single statement attributed to Jesus about His opinion on homosexuality. I think the same rules apply to any two people who love each other.
For me I wouldn’t want to be sexually intimate with someone I don’t love. But I would always choose to love whether it was a sexually intimate relationship or not.
I’d really like to make connections and have discussions with fellow believers who have decided that they are non-monogamous. An exchange of experiences that includes more than the usual exchange of opinions about the true standard code language of Hogwarts.